I don't hate An Idiot Abroad; I rather like it. Despite it being Gervais and his tall mate laugh at the round-headed one but in other countries, i.e. almost exactly the same as the podcasts, I still enjoy it. Pilkington is just basically likeable.
I don't hate on it for being derivative, or for being different than the Office, or for whatever other reason I am supposed to be knee-jerkularly hating his stuff these days.

Life's too short though, he's just done a cut-and-shut with Extras and Curb Your Enthusiasm and then stuck a dwarf in.

First season of A I A was fine, funny. But no need for a second season. Especially when you had michael palin, a man of comedy legend, going to similar countries, but telling you something of wonder on another channel. Kind of got on my goat a bit the second time round, but watching a standalone episode is good for a few laughs.

Lukus wrote:
His 'there is no God you idiots' schtick got boring fast. Not that I disagree necessarily, but he really has a bee in his bonnet about it.

It's ridiculous. His twitter has just become an endless series of replies to religious idiots. He has devoted his life to what I occasionally spend an afternoon on here doing when I'm bored. It really is pathetic.

Blame America. It's actually an issue in America whereas over here nobody gives a fuck if you're religious or not. It can be annoying, but he's bringing a bit of credibility to atheists across the pond and has become a bit of a cheerleader for atheist groups. There is actually violence against atheists in certain parts of the USA and it can also cause issues in school and in the military. But yes I do agree he's becoming a bit annoying with it.

craigy wrote:
The anti-religion stuff gets boring because he's so vitriolic with it. It's not a great character trait.

Yeah. Plus, as an atheist myself, I just find the whole thing exhausting. It's like having someone angrily explain to you over and over why the word is round. It's like "I KNOW IT'S ROUND. OBVIOUSLY IT'S ROUND. SHUT THE FUCK UP ABOUT IT BEING ROUND".

Appreciate this is al linked to him arguing with stupid Americans all day, but still, just don't do that.

It's only an issue if you only get your US news from Fox and stories about the Westboro Baptist Church, or believe everything on Twitter et al is factual and representative. Both me and my wife are left-leaning atheists (her vocally, me passively) in one of the most right-leaning, religious states in the country and we receive approximately zero hassle for our views. She's even ex-Mormon, which according to mass media should mean she should be alienated from everything in the state. There may be issues like that in parts of the Deep South, but that's because the vocal population of the Deep South consists of in-denial racists.

@meme - HA! I often wonder where ecu gets this stuff from, because it's never indicative of anything I've experienced. I know plenty of atheists as well, and I don't think any of them have been beaten or harrassed because of it.

That's not to say it doesn't happen, but I'm sure you can find just about anything if you look hard enough.

It's funny how Dawkins is known as "Darwin's Rottweiler" -- Gervais could easily be known as "Dawkin's Rottweiler" for all of the fawning he does. Those two interviewing each is like being in a giant atheistic echo chamber. Still, I'll watch anything comedy-based he creates.

Is this a second series of An idtion abroad then? First was OK but they should just let Karl get out there and mingle with locals. It's what he does best in his own unique way. The fact that they got him from A to B via a mode of transport that would leave him exhausted or put him up in a hotel that was a total shithole didn't add anything to it.
Neither did the phonecalls from Ricky and Stephen.

I saw Gervais at a comedy show called "Nine Lessons and Carols for Godless People" a few years ago. Loads of great comedians, a few musical acts and then Richard Dawkings preaching for 20 mins about evolution pointlessly to a load of people who clearly couldn't give a fuck.

ronuds wrote:
@meme - HA! I often wonder where ecu gets this stuff from, because it's never indicative of anything I've experienced. I know plenty of atheists as well, and I don't think any of them have been beaten or harrassed because of it.

That's not to say it doesn't happen, but I'm sure you can find just about anything if you look hard enough.

I'm sure I've seen news articles about it. It's it's never happened then fair enough, I'm wrong. Just disregard that line. I've spent plenty of time in the USA and met people in several states and religion in general seems to be way more prevalent. Nobody has ever given me trouble over me being an atheist either, but there's a lot more religious symbolism, you see billboards and things on TV like adverts, bumper stickers, jesus fish all over the place, etc. You are just more aware of Christianity at all times, far moreso than in England. Obviously this varies from location to location, there are some places where you'll have it really tough being an atheist. Tony Blair didn't talk about his religion until he left, he knew it would damage him. Obama is probably an atheist, and is having to lie about being a Christian. It's definitely a different climate over there, that's all I'm saying, and Gervais didn't start this stuff until he went to America.